Epidemiology of Aggressive Periodontitis in a South Brazilian Population

Background: Little is known about the epidemiology and risk factors for aggressive periodontitis (AgP) in the Brazilian populations. Objective: This study assessed the prevalence, clinical features, and demographics of AgP in a representative urban population in south Brazil. Methods: This epidemiological study used a multi-stage probability cluster sampling strategy to draw a sample representative of Porto Alegre, Brazil (≈ 3 million people). A total of 1,586 subjects were examined, of which 612 subjects 14-29 years of age were used in this study. The subjects were interviewed using a structured questionnaire and had a full-mouth clinical examination in a mobile examination center. Subjects with attachment loss ≥4 mm (14-19 years group) or ≥5 mm (20-29 years group) in 4 or more teeth were classified with AgP. Results: The overall prevalence of AgP was 5.5% subjects. The prevalence increased from 2.5% in the 14-19 years, to 9.9% in the 25-29 years groups. The extent (% teeth) of attachment loss ≥4 mm, ≥5 mm, and ≥6 mm were 47.6%, 28.5% and 13.6%, respectively. The disease showed similar prevalence rates in males (5.7%) and females (5.3%), and higher rates in non-whites than whites (6.1% vs. 2.4%) and in the low than middle/high socioeconomic status groups (9.4% vs. 2.8%). The mean tooth loss was significantly higher in the AgP than in non-AgP groups (2.8 vs. 0.8, p<0.01). Conclusions: Aggressive periodontitis is prevalent among adolescents and young adults in the urban population in south Brazil. Periodontal prevention programs should be implemented to reduce the prevalence of AgP in this population. Funding: Foundation for Post-Graduate Education (CAPES), Ministry of Education, Brazilia, DF, Brazil.